Florida authorities say an inmate who killed his cellmate last month while awaiting trial for killing another cellmate in 2015 is now in solitary confinement.

The Panama City News Herald reports 21-year-old Frederick Patterson III said he killed his 82-year-old cellmate Arthur Williams on Jan. 15, and told correctional officers that “there’s one less child molester on the streets.”

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Patterson, a convicted burglar, was sentenced Thursday to life in prison for killing 45-year-old Scott Collinsworth, a convicted robber, in the Apalachee Correctional Institution.

Patterson now faces a first-degree murder charge. Williams, who allegedly tried to lure a 9-year-old boy into his car, had been ruled incompetent 10 days earlier and was being held in the Jackson County Correctional Facility awaiting transfer to a mental facility.

Asked about Williams' death, Patterson told investigators he and Williams had been cellmates in maximum security for about two weeks and he had planned to kill him the entire time.

“When asked about this, Patterson replied because Williams likes kids,” officers wrote. “Patterson said Williams told him stories about touching kids during their time as cellmates.”

Patterson told police that he waited until after the 1 a.m. security check before launching his attack. He allegedly dragged Williams from his bunk, stomped on his head, slammed him into the concrete floor and continued beat him after he appeared to be dead.

"... Patterson was very matter of fact and smiling throughout the interview,” police said.